Washing machine



' g- 5, 0- A. w. ALTORFER 1,772,095

WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8, 1927 Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALTORFER BIEtOS. COM- PANY, OF EAST PEORIA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS WASHING MACHINE Application filed December 8, 1927. Seria1-No. 238,553.

This invention has reference to washing machines and it has for its principal object to improve the agitator structure therefor and also to improve the means of imparting alternate oscillatory movement to said agitator.

The invention has for a further object to impart movement to the agitator through a shaft disposed wholly within the tub and axially of said agitator, and to actuate said shaft from a driving shaft off-set axially of the tub and agitator and passing up through the bottom of said tub and geared to said first mentioned shaft within the tub.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fixed sleeve extending from a point above and next adjacent the bottom of the tub to a point above the normal water level in said tub and to provide said sleeve with a base which serves as a bearing support for the agitator, the latter having a stem extending axially of and surrounding said sleeve; to provide a shaft disposed axially within said sleeve having a journal bearing therein both at the upper and lower ends of said sleeve and provided at its upper end with means forming a driving connection between said shaft and said stem, and in the provi sion of a shaft off-set to the axis of the tub and agitator and passing up through the bottom 'of the tub and geared to said first mentioned shaft through gearing encased in a housing located within the agitator.

Other and further objects will more fully appear from the following description.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this description, illustrating a preferred embodimentof the invention, in which 1 Fig. 1 is a plan view of a washing machine tub With my improved agitator mechanism therein; 7

' Fig. 2 is a vertical 'cross-section through tub and agitator mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan, partly in section, as the same would appear if taken on the line 3-3 Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and p Fig. 4 is a detail elevation, partly in section showing the sleeve for the agitator shaft and the housing for the gearing between the driving and agitator operating shafts.

Like characters of reference denote cor-- which is supported to be oscillated an agitator or washing element 3. The fiat bottom 2 is shouldered at 4, forming an annular offset, with the portion 2 of the bottom slightly depressed, and from such shouldered portion the bottom slopes upwardly into the sides of the tub.

Arranged to be supported on the bottom 2 of the tub, is the section 5 forming part of a gear housing and said section has a bearing portion 6 disposed through an opening 7 in the bottom 2, off-set to theaxis of the tub and as will appear off-set to the axis of the agitator or washing element 3. While not shown, it is understood that suitable packing may be employed to seal the opening 7 ing 12 for the lower end of said shaft 11,

which terminates at its lower end in said gear housing, formed by the base 8 of the stem 9 and the said section 5. The shaft 11 is located axially of the tub'l and is wholly within thetub. To the lower end of said shaft 11 is connected a gear wheel 13 meshing with a gear pinion 14, both said gear wheel and pinion being within the gear housing and said pinion 14 is connected with' the upper end of a driving shaft 15 passing up through the bottom of the tub and journaled in the bearing 6 of the housing section 5 and also having a journal bearing in the base 8 of the 3, as will be explained, and said shaft 11 is operated from the driving shaft 15, which is disposed off-set to the axis of the tub and also the agitator and may receive its power from any suitable source.

The agitator 3 comprises preferably a disclike member 16, which, when it is in operative position in the tub lies immediately above the bottom portion 2and is formed or provided with a radially arranged annular flange 17, whereby to form, together with thebase of the disc a structure complementary to'the shoulder 4 in the tub bottom, whereby to prevent clothing and other materials from getting under the agitator and to prevent dirt and other foreign matter from also getting under said agitator. Included in the structure of the agitator is an upstanding axially disposed sleeve 18. This sleeve may or may not be an integral part of a hub member 18 of the agitator, the latter adapted to have a bearing relation with the lower end of the stem 9 and its base 8. The base 8 provides a support for the agitator and on which it is oscillated. The sleeve 18 has a head section 19 adapted to normally overlie the upper end of the sleeve 9 above the v normal water level in the tub and said head section is provided with an axial opening 20 therethrough of square or some other preferred shape to facilitate an easy slip on and off clutch connection with a similarly shaped end 21 on the upper end of the shaft 11. With the arrangement described, the agitator is supported or has a bearing on the base 8 of the stem 9 and is in no sense supported at the upper end of the sleeve 9 or by the upper endof the shaft 11, and yet provision is made as pointed out, for a slip on and off clutch connection between the agitator sleeve 18 and the shaft 11, whereby the former may be operated from the latter and to facilitate the easy attachment of the agitator to the shaft 11 and its detachment therefrom. The agitator further includes the plurality of radially arranged baflles, wings or agitating vanes 22, which upstand from the disc and terminate in the stem thereof and the outer peripheral portion of said disc, not unlike similar members in structures of like character.

The provision of a driving shaft and an agitator shaft geared together, as shown, makes possible a change in the ratio of speeds between the driving and agitator operating shafts, as may be desired, and the housing of the gears is such thatthey are confined within the agitator and out of the way and the housing for such gearing will be constructed to prevent leakage of water thereinto. Furthermore, the use of such gearing, to permit a diff rent ratio of speeds between the driving and agitator shafts will eliminate many of the elements ordinarily included in the usual and customary transmission gearing.

What I claim is:

1. In a washing machine, in combination, a tub, an agitator supported for oscillation axially of the tub and having a central upstanding sleeve, a sectional gear housing supported on the bottom of the tub and confined within the agitator, one section of said housing having a bearing member off-set to the axis of the agitator and extending downward through the bottom of the tub, another section of said housing having a tubular stem extension disposed axially of the tub within said sleeve, a driving shaft passing upward into said housing through said bearing member. an agitator operating shaft within said stem and protruding above the upper end thereof. gearing in said housing connecting said shafts. and means providing a slip on and off clutch connection between said sleeve and said agitator operating shaft.

2. In a washing machine, in combination, a tub. a gear housing supported on the bottom of the tub, a stem extending upwardly from said housing and disposed axially of the tub. an agitator operating shaft journaled in said stem and having its lower end terminating in said housing above the tub bottom. a driving shaft off-set to the axis of the agitator and passing upwardly through the bottom of the tub with its upper end terminating in said housing, operating connections-between said shafts, within said housing, an agitator supported to oscillate on said housing and having a bearing relation therewith, and means to operatively connect said agitator with said agitator shaft.

3. In a washing machine, in combination, a tub, a gear housing supported on the bottom of the tub and comprising separable sections, one having an upstanding stem disposed axially of the tub and extending to a point above the normal water level in the tub, another of said sections having a depending bearing member off-set to the axis of the tub, an agitator operating shaft journaled in said stem and having an extension above the upper end of said stem provided with an end connection for an agitator, a shaft journaled in the bearing member of said other axially of the tub and extending upward to a point above the normal water level in the tub, an agitator operating shaft located and operating wholly within the tub and dis- 5 posed axially of and within said sleeve, means to operatively connect said shaft with said sleeve at a point above the normal water level in the tub, a driving shaft passing up through the bottom of the tub and .oif-set I axially to said tub, and means to operatively connect said shafts.

5. In a washing machine, in combination,

a tub, an agitator removably supported in said tub and having a sleeve disposed axially 1 of the tub and extending upward to a point above the normal water level in the tub, a non-rotatable stem disposed axiall within said sleeve and terminating below t e upper end thereof but above the normal water level in said tub, an agitator operating shaft located and operating wholly within the tub and axially within said stem and protruding thereabove, means to connect the upper end of said shaft with the upper end of said sleeve, a driving shaft passing up through the bottom of said tub and oif-set axially to said tub, and means operatively connecting said shafts. I

6. In a washing machine, in combination, a tub, a removable agitator therefor, and a drive for the agitator comprising a shaft disposed axially of and wholly within the tub, a shaft passing upwardly through the bottom of the tub and off-set axially thereof, gearing connecting thesaid shafts, within the tub, and a housing for said gearing.

7. In a washing machine, in combination, an agitator supported for oscillation with its axis coincident with the axis of the tub, an agitator shaft arranged axially of the agitator and located and operating wholly within the tub, means to operativel connect said agitator withsaid agitator s aft, and

a driving shaft off-set to the axis of the tub 45 and journaled through the bottom of the tub and operatively connected within the tub to said agitator shaft. 1

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my hand this 2nd day of December, 1927.

w ALPHEUS W. ALTQRFER. 

